Tender
by BBQkitten
Summary: Ichigo didn't say anything as they sat there, simply enjoying the warmth that his eccentric taichou brought him. They had sat like this many nights since Ichigo had died, merely enjoying one another's presence as they watched the room grow darker as the sun fell below the horizon.


**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

The ash was thick and slow to clear as Shinji raced through the rubble. He growled in frustration at the smoke and wished there was a kido spell that sent a gust of wind forward and cleared the sky. The blond finally reached the Kurosaki residence and moaned as he saw Yuzu standing outside of the charred entrance, a broken dangling from her chest.

"Onii-chan!" Yuzu called, cupping her hands around her mouth to project her voice more. "Onii-chan, I think something bad has happened."

Shinji sighed and made his way over to the little girl. "Keep your voice down, kid," he growled, making her jump. Her black haired twin jumped out from behind and shoved a finger in the Vizard's chest.

"Oi, you watch the way you talk to my sister. We are looking for our brother, so butt out."

He closed his eyes in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath before he responded. "Look down. What is sticking out of your chest?"

Karin growled, "I don't see how this chain has anything to do you telling us to shut up."

"You've seen spirits before right?" Karin nodded, her eyes growing wide. "And what do spirits have on their chests?"

"Chains," she whispered.

The blonde nodded, "Exactly. And Ichigo does not need to see you like this. So keep your voices _down_."

Karin nodded and wrapped an arm around her quivering sister. "We're dead then?"

Shinji nodded.

"What's going to happen to us?"

He shrugged, "Shinigami will be around sooner or later to send you all on. You'll just have to wait until then. He looked toward the crumbling building. Where was Ichigo before the explosion?"

Karin nodded towards the collapsing second floor, "In his room. Do you think he is dead, too?"

Shinji scratched the back of his head and took a step towards the building. "I'm not sure. But I'll go find him for you, alright?"

The girls nodded and allowed the blonde to leave as they sat down on the curb, hoping their brother was alright.

Shinji made his way into the building through Ichigo's window and found the boy's body nearly snapped in half from the concussive force of the blast on the floor by his desk. Ichigo was standing next to his body. He didn't look up when Shinji came in, "I guess this mean I'm dead, huh?"

Shinji gave a sad sigh and walked over to the Berry. He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and forced him to turn around. "Your sisters are outside, Ichigo. They need you."

Ichigo nodded, looking down at the crumbling floor. "They're dead too, aren't they?"

The ex-captain nodded and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Time to face the music, kid."

Ichigo closed his eyes and rubbed at his eyelids with the palms of his hands, furiously fighting off any tears as his sisters faded away. "I won't ever see them again."

The blonde pulled the smaller male into a hug, "Probably not but that doesn't mean that they won't love you any less." He held on to the boy for a moment longer before he patted him on the back and removed on of his arms, keeping a firm hold on his shoulders as he led Ichigo away from the destroyed building. "Come on. Let's get you out of here."

Shinji led Ichigo into the building, his arm still firmly planted around the boy's shoulders. "Welcome to the fifth division, Ichigo-kun. I think you will like it now that my old lieutenant isn't in charge of it anymore." He grinned and led Ichigo further into the compound. "You're lucky the Soutaichou likes me otherwise you would have to live in the dorms with all of the other students."

Ichigo nodded absentmindedly, his eyes traveling around the spacious office in interest. "You have a nice office."

Shinji smiled and gestured grandly to another door on the other side of the room. "This leads to our room. And since you are being groomed to take over my lieutenant position you will be staying in Hinamori's old room." The blonde leaned in conspiratorially, "Don't worry, I've cleaned it of all pink and sparkles."

Ichigo snorted lightly and shoved his future captain's face away from his own. "And replaced it with your own unique charm while you were at it, didn't you?"

The captain chuckled and draped his arm lazily over the younger's shoulders. "Ahh, there's a piece of the Ichigo I know and love."

He led the other into Hinamori's old room and gestured grandly as he opened the door. "It's not home, but I think I did a pretty good job at finding things that suited you."

The vizard yelped as Ichigo wacked him on the back of his head. "Why the hell would you think I like strawberries, Baka?" He growled, folding his arms angrily over his chest.

Shinji chuckled, and covered his head, "Because you are my little berry, Berry!"

Ichigo hissed and jumped at the blonde, causing the laughing captain to squawk as he was pulled to the floor. "Wanna call me 'Berry' again, Baka-Shinji?"

The blonde smirked, and without warning, flipped them over so that he was straddling the orangette. "You," he sang, leaning in closer with every word, "Are _my_ berry, Ichi-kun."

Ichigo laughed in discomfort, as he shifted unsurely under his captain's heavy, reassuring hands. "Ahh..."

Shinji smirked and stood up. "I like your room the way it is. I think the orange walls really bring out your eyes."

Ichigo was still lying on the floor stunned when Shinji left with his parting, "Well, I guess I'll leave you to unpack. Don't forget about orientation tomorrow."

"Hirako-taichou."

Shinji looked up at the sound of his favorite berry's voice. "Ahh, Ichigo, finally retrieved the thirteenth's report?"

Ichigo bowed ashamedly, "Hai."

The fifth division captain motioned for his lieutenant to come closer and when he did, Shinji stood up and grabbed Ichigo's shoulders lightly causing his Berry to wince. He led the boy over to the couch and made him sit down, taking the report from his clenched fingers, "I see you ran in to Zaraki again, ne?"

The orangette nodded cautiously as the blonde sighed sadly and sat down next to him, his hand already beginning to glow in blue healing kido. When Ichigo's shoulder was fixed, Shinji exhaled and slowly moved his hands away from his lieutenant, sagging against the back of the couch.

"You know one of these days I'm going to give Zaraki a piece of my mind. That man has no business attacking a lieutenant, especially a lieutenant of another division."

Ichigo shrugged his now healed shoulder and leaned back against the couch as well, inadvertently leaning his head on Shinji's arm which was draped across the back of the couch. Ichigo didn't say anything as they sat there, simply enjoying the warmth that his eccentric taichou brought him. They had sat like this many nights since Ichigo had died, merely enjoying one another's presence as they watched the room grow darker as the sun fell below the horizon.

"Shinji," he murmured, seemingly afraid to break the comfortable silence that had fallen upon them in the darkened room.

Said blonde hummed contentedly, keeping his eyes closed but turning his head towards Ichigo's head. He laid his cheek on his lieutenant's soft orange hair, crinkling his nose when the hairs tickled him.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Shinji asked lifting his head off of his soft pillow and opening his eyes to look at the blushing berry below him.

Ichigo shrugged noncommittally, "For healing me. For taking me in. I don't know—everything, I guess."

Shinji chuckled and wrapped his arm fully around Ichigo's shoulders, pulling him close. "I was, and am, happy to do it, Ichi-kun." He grinned conspiratorially, "After all, I need to take good care of my berry, don't I?"

Ichigo growled and nudged Shinji's shoulder with his own, "I'm not a berry."

Shinji laughed and placed his head back on his lieutenant's soft crop of hair. "You will always be my berry, Ichi-kun," he whispered, turning his cheek slightly to place a light kiss on the crown of Ichigo's head.

The lieutenant stiffened slightly in his captain's hold for a moment before leaning more heavily into the blonde's side. "You're a good pillow, Taichou."

Shinji's deep laugh rumbled in his chest and Ichigo shifted slightly as he was displaced. "And you're a good teddy bear, Berry." He didn't get a verbal response as Ichigo snuggled further against his chest and closed his eyes. "Are you tired, Ichigo-kun?"

The smaller vizard hummed in the affirmative but made no move to get up and go to his room.

The blonde chuckled and shifted, slipping one hand under Ichigo's legs and wrapping the other around his back and lifted him up. Ichigo squawked indigently and wrapped his arms around Shinji's neck to keep himself upright. Shinji looked down at the orangette in his arms and was surprised by how close their faces were to each other. The captain stopped laughing as he gazed into his little berry's honey eyes.

Their lips slowly migrated closer until there was only a breath between them.

"Ichi," Shinji whispered.

Ichigo pulled his arms tighter around Shinji's neck and pulled his lips up to meet his captain's. When they finally pulled apart, Ichigo rested his forehead against Shinji's and murmured, "Does this mean we're together?"

Shinji smirked, "Of course it does, Ichi-kun. You have always been mine but now I can publically show everyone you're off limits." He leaned in and gave Ichigo a quick peck on the lips. "After all," He whispered, "You are _my_ berry."

Ichigo laughed, for once not correcting him and said, "Let's go to bed. It's been a long evening."

**AN: Here's a riddle for you: What do you get when your boss leaves for the weekend without giving you any work to do? A lot of free time to write FanFiction! XD**

**I know it's not my best work but I was insanely bored and I thought, "Eh. Why not?"**

**Please review and tell me how horrible (or fantastic) it was. I love the feedback.**

**Also, please read my other Picking up the Pieces. It's a different format for a fanfiction and I've kind of gone completely against the grain with this one but I think that it's really good and I've put a lot of time and effort in it and it would be nice to see some feedback to know whether I should continue or not. **

**Thank you and please review!**


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